Haram's Heroes

Astrafel's convient character development

I heard rustling coming from my supply bag, but in my sleepy state I decided to ignore it. Turns out it was a chubby, little boy eating my rations. He ate all of them in a single bite.
He then deftly jumped from branch to branch and left behind him a wake of broken branches. The child came all the way from the Easternlings to avenge his father. Jeff felt compassion on the child and decided to have him join our party (Ha! Like our party’s the safest to be in).

We continued on to Aethor. Our path was blocked by a raised draw bridge and a particularly unhappy gnome-ess. Upon finding that the Duke was in our company (no thanks to that child), she refused to let us pass. Bato left us and crossed the bridge on his own while Maya found an old baker friend who had a terrible speech impediment. He brought us a cake which we hid the Duke under. We crossed the bridge while Bato distracted the guards and gnome-ess.

I tried to suggest that we might find disguises but as per usual no one listened. Instead (as per usual), we got in a scuffle with some guards. Oliver crushed them with his scythe, but gingerly so as not to kill them. Hastily, we hurried inside to escape the prying eyes (and horrified screams) of the common folk.

Inside the inner courts, I scanned the room looking for the Lady Penelo. No one in my group could find her, but I did recognize one face – Sarai. I let out a sigh and went to greet her. Her voice scraped against my soul like a violin poorly played. A minute of her talking and I already wish I had died on our last adventure. Another screeching joined the mix as Lady Penelo’s child, Annoying, made an appearance along with Penelo herself on an electric lute.

In my desperation to make it all stop, I pulled the flute from my bag, and I heard clearly the shopkeeper’s voice, “Only use it in a dire situation!”. I brought the flute my lips and played a deafening blow. Sarai screamed at her beau asking if he could hear her; it looked like I had used my flute in vain. At that exact moment, the obese child used his Kung-fu on Sarai’s vocal chords and her voice was no more. I looked at the child and a tear came to my eye. “Thank you, Johnny” I said as we high-fived.

Everyone stared as a giant salamander crashed through the wall! Lady Penelo replied in kind by summoning a giant white dragon. My flute did not look like it could hold up against her electric lute that is until I plugged it in and a music battle of great proportions ensued.

In the mean time, Oliver, Maya, and Bato were keeping the guards from me so I could fight. Oliver used his scythe to slice a man in half while Maya stealthily used her dagger to remove a man’s trachea. Bato sent a volley of arrows and wounded many soldiers. But a new platoon of dragoons with cannons quickly took their place.

We used out instruments to control our creatures. I proved my greater musical abilities by commanding my salamander to chomp down of the dragon’s neck. In retaliation, the dragon stomped down on my salamader’s head. Luckily, salamander’s are quite slimy and it easily maneuvers out. Salamander then bitch slaps the dragon with its tail, leaving its backside open. The dragon returned the blow.

Johnny drank a whole punch bowl of alcohol, and used new found drunken kung-fu to toss Oliver at the dragoons. Oliver had created a new contraption by tying his scythe to the dolphin cleric’s fishing rod; he swung his new weapon taking out everyone in sight.

Bato grabbed the cannons and with Ico’s help launched a volley of cannon fire at the dragon successfully killing it.

I high-fived the salamander and it was the most perfect of high-fives, so perfect in fact that the salamander let me keep the flute for one more use.

Oliver prays after Malgwynn's death (outline's cross on chest)

Oh my Doge!
How can this be so?
That I have lost a friend I was beginning to know
our friendship was just starting to blossom and grow
such woe is me

Why were we ambushed in the forest back there
who is this man we are escorting here
how is Astrafel alive yet Maelgwynn (outlines cross on chest) has dissappeared
and why does this so called duke not seem to care
much anger is me

Had I been stronger I could have saved him
Had I fought harder I could have saved him
Had I not faltered I could have saved him
and yet I did not
such blame is on me

And who is this fat child
to whom I wish to cause harm
Who has caused us alarm
and cannot bear arms
like Maelgwnn (outlines cross on chest)

Our comrade shall not be forgotten
together we have gone through a lot and
your sacrifice will not all be for not
I shall remember the friendship you have taught
such memories will be with me

May you find
much rest
such peace
and may Doge be with you always
Amen

Maya's Treasure Hunt

Ugh, I don’t see the point of logging in bits and pieces of our adventure. It’s such a waste of time, but I might as well since there’s nothing left in this city of rubble…
After a unanimous decision to head towards the cove, we were (surprise, surprise…) ambushed by griffons. Fortunately, Maelgwynn turned into a griffon and distracted them while the rest of us made a run for the cove. The four of us headed cautiously forward with no idea of where Maelgwynn was. I wasn’t sure if he’d come back. It wasn’t too bad if he didn’t since he seems to always get into reckless fights.

We soon reached a giant chasm and after deciding we weren’t ready to plummet to our deaths, found a small tunnel to go through instead. We reached this strange dome-shaped room where there were disgusting snakes slithering about. Luckily Bato talked with the mother snake and we were allowed to pass through. I was mildly impressed we left without engaging in combat.

Great, more tedious decisions-3 passageways and the refusal to split up. One was a tunnel that led to who-knows-where, one was a dark corridor with cells, and the other one was blocked. Seeing a open, barred door, Oliver and I went to go investigate. After working together to disable a trap, we found a fresh dead body. From the looks of him, he looked like a common thief, the poor fool. But just our luck- we found a flute(which wasn’t my thing so I handed it over to Astrafel) and a key. As we ventured further down the hall, we reached a door, which Oliver tried to open with the key. I don’t know what Oliver did, but the key jammed in the lock and suddenly a flurry of arrows whizzed by, one piercing Astrafel’s side.
Nothing too serious though.

On the other side of the door was this strange room with two desks- one occupied by a skeleton- and 3 pedestals. And Hello, what have we here? A chest? Don’t mind if I do. While everyone else was occupied by the boring papers and blah, I opened up the chest only to get attacked. Rude. A Mimic, I guess. Astrafel talked to this ghost while I checked the left-over chest. I’m pretty sure Bato gave me an exasperated look. Whatever, his loss. But it just turned out to be a bunch of scrolls full of scribbles. Astrafel’s getting all the luck today.

Some of this is kind of hazy in my mind. I might’ve been getting bored since there was nothing of value around yet. At one point, there was a trench full of basilisks and in the center was a pillar with a key. Bato sent Eiko over to fetch it. After unlocking yet another door, we reached a room full of sleeping wyverns. Everyone voted for me to sneak towards the other side of the room. I wasn’t complaining though, since there was a chest. With keys- another bust. I’m getting tired of these puzzles! Oh, these chests were such teases. This chestful of keys had a riddle which was supposed to help us unlock this beautifully decorated door with three keyholes. Astrafel pulled out a little booklet (a journal?) and got me to help her turn keys at the same time. One small key and one long, thing one. Someone has too much time on their hands…

I don’t know HOW this happened, but we somehow met up with Maelgwnn again. He tried to explain it, but I couldn’t believe him. Reunited, we all entered this room with a statue of a guy with his face punched in. As I looked around the room, I tuned out what the rest of them were talking about. However, when the word “Vain” was said, things got w

Maelgwynn tells of the meeting of Oliver, Astrafel and Maya

I set out from the ruined city of Dahli with Bato, his pet hawk Eiko and Cartha, who I have begun calling Jeff out of derision. Still wishing to find and finally destroy the lioness Halan, I set Jeff out before us carrying the meat we had cut from the corpses of the vanquished lion cougar druids hoping that the smell would taunt out my foe. Not long after we set out for the town of Fello, she beset Jeff, unable to resist either the smell of fresh meat or the blood of her one time worshipers. Bato and I quickly attacked her found her to be surprisingly easy prey once she was not accompanied by her followers. Bato collected some of her teeth as a token of our victory and we pressed on.

We did not have much respite after our victory however as we were surprised to see wyverns plaguing the road from our position all the way to Fello in the distance. We decided to make a break for the town which we soon had been transformed from the small city we were expecting to an impressively fortified stronghold. Dodging the attacks of the wyverns above us, we eventually made it to the fort where the gates were quickly opened for us by what would prove to be our future party members. Oliver, a Paladin of the order of Doge (of which he seems to be the solitary member) was the first to greet us. Astrafel introduced herself to us next as we were safe for the time being; she is a bard of the Grand Histories of the Known World. Finally we met Maya, a rogue who seems to constantly be on the look out for loot no matter how great or small.

Our meeting was cut short when a man calling himself General Merril showed up and demanded to know our business. I told him we had no intention of remaining long in the town and were merely passing through on our way to escort Jeff to Arethor, a quest for which both Bato and myself were promised 50 gold pieces each. Realizing that our destination could not be reached before nightfall, we decided to stay in Fello for a day, rest and resupply and be on our way. A couple hours after we had laid down our belongings and checked into the local shops for supplies, the fort was attacked by both griffons and wyverns in great numbers. The General began shouting out orders and instructed us to take arms against his foes. Begrudgingly I agreed but decided that since this settlement was at such odds with its wildlife it should not remain. I gathered the fire oil, the soldiers used to set their catapults ablaze and brought it by the barrel to keep in the middle of the fort. My companions, realizing what I was about, told me to take the barrels to the top of the tower whereupon they could be set afire with devastating affect on our winged attackers. We collected the barrels, Bato shot a flaming arrow and the tower erupted in flame and stone. The missiles caught our assailants in flight, destroying many although killing some of the townspeople also in the fallout. We quickly dispatched the rest of the griffons and wyverns and rejoiced in our victory. The General was furious with our methods no matter how effective they were and demanded that we siege the nearby cove where the griffons and wyverns seemed to be sallying forth from in overwhelming numbers. When asked what our payment for the service would be, he responded that we were obliged to do this without recompense to repay the damage on his tower. When I told him I would rather fight him than the winged beasts without if there was no reward to be had, he challenged me to combat. Needing no further prompting, I leaped at him, transforming into a dire wolf in midair. I landed a severe blow but he buffeted me heavily, nearly killing me in a single blow. standing over my broken body, he informed us we would be carrying out his quest like it or not on the morrow.

The Adventure Begins

Our adventure begins with two heroes: Bato and Maelgwynn, in/near the town of Dahli. Bato, the Ranger, sought the help of Maelgwynn after the Mayor enlisted his help: the food supply brought to their mountain village has missed its last two shipment dates. Maelgwynn was initially reluctant, and instead helped Bato with his mission in another way: Hunt down Halan the Lioness followers, a pack of Druids who worship her, and feed their corpses to the village for the time being.

During the chase, Bato stumbled upon the den of the theives, but decided to report back to the Mayor and to Maelgwynn, whom Bato’s Hawk, Eiko, accompanied. The two tracked down the den of the lioness and attacked and killed the followers.

Maelgwynn wanted to finish of Halan, but Bato sought to complete the job that the Mayor gave him, and the two split again. The Mayor, upon receiving the meat, was overjoyed and the town had a feast (he didn’t seem to mind that they were eating human meat, after Bato had told him). Maelgwynn slept in the den of his defeated foes.

Bato and Maelgwynn, however, were both awoken that night. Bato by the burning of Dahli, and Maelgwynn by Halan. Bato fought off the theives and Maelgwynn fled Halan’s lair, coming to the Bato’s aid in fending off the thieves.

They were both successful, but they weren’t able to save the village. Dahli fell, with only Cartha, the Merchant’s son, surviving. Cartha has made them an offer: payment if they escort him to the city of Fello…